


Something Like Friendship

by noodletastic



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: M/M, Post 3a, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-05
Updated: 2013-09-05
Packaged: 2017-12-25 16:07:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/955105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/noodletastic/pseuds/noodletastic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They can’t just get into the car and go; no, Stiles is there.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Something Like Friendship

There was nothing but pain here.

It’s all Derek can think about as he looks around the loft. He had good intentions, in the beginning. He and Isaac had needed a place to stay, to make home. But it had never pulled together. There weren’t any good memories here. This place – Lydia was right. It’s a grave yard.

This is the place where he bled for hours with a pole through his chest. This is where he let himself be seduced by a woman he knew nothing about. He threw a glass at Isaac in this room. He grieved for Erica here.

Boyd died here. Cora almost died here.

This is the place he tried and failed to make home. He privately wonders if he’ll ever try and succeed.

It’s a relief to zip his bag and go to the door, glancing back inside. Leaving doesn’t hurt. Looking back inside, he can picture bodies and bloodshed and this doesn’t feel like a home. It makes him feel empty.

“You ready?”

Derek shakes himself, looking over at Cora just outside of the door. She looks patient, kind, empathetic. He can see love in her eyes now, a softness that speaks of the little sister he knew before. It gives him hope.

Closing the door behind them is a relief.

***

Of course when they stepped outside, they can’t just get into the car and go; no, Stiles is there, like he was waiting for them to make an appearance. As soon as they’re in view Stiles flings himself from his jeep. Derek doesn’t understand how his body works; thinking about it gives him a headache.

“Here.” Derek passes his keys to Cora with a heavy sigh. “I’ll be right there.”

“Give him a goodbye kiss for me,” she says before heading to the car, twirling the keys around her finger.

Derek walks over to meet Stiles in front of the jeep. He’s fidgeting in place, rubbing his hands down his thighs to dust off invisible dirt. His eyes flicker between Cora’s retreating back and Derek’s face. “Shouldn’t you be at school?”

Stiles doesn’t answer, nodding at his bag instead. “You guys going somewhere?”

“Road trip. Cora wants to see the world’s largest ball of yarn.”

“Ha. Ha. Seriously though.” Stiles waves an arm, feet shifting. Derek doesn’t understand how he can be so animated all the time. It looks exhausting. “Scott told me what you did.”

Derek’s shoulders tighten minimally. He and Scott left on good terms, or so he’d thought. “Did he.”

“With Mrs. Blake. Your plan, for her to heal Deucalion – that was good.” He nods again, rubbing his hand back through his hair. Derek relaxes, but doesn’t say anything, waiting for him to get to the point. “And you know. Lydia said that you pretended you were going to help Mrs. Blake, so she wouldn’t kill my dad and the others. So that’s. That’s pretty good too.”

Derek stays silent and resisted the urge to smirk. Stiles looked steadily more uncomfortable, lips pursing, shifting his feet. This, Derek might miss. Watching how Stiles winds himself up in silences is hilarious – not that he would ever say so.

“Look.” Stiles huffs out a breath, shoulders straightening. He has on that stupid, serious business expression that he likes to put on when he thinks Derek’s being an ass. “I’m not going to stand here and sing your praises-“

“You saved Cora. Helped me out at the hospital. We’re even,” Derek says, saving him the effort.

Stiles stares at him, shifting his feet restlessly again. “Right. So- you guys are really going.”

“We’re really going.”

“Okay, well- good luck.” He sticks out his hand after a moment of awkward indecision, shoulders straightening again.

Derek stares at him for a long moment, hiding his confusion behind an arched brow. Stiles gives him an annoyed look, hand drawing back.

“Well, fuck you too-“

Derek grasps his hand firmly before he can pull it away completely, squeezing it in his own. “Good bye, Stiles.”

Stiles’ mouth dropped open, blinking quickly. “I-“ He returns the squeeze, grip firm. “Yeah. See you around.”

Derek nods once, meeting his eyes. This feels strangely like the behavior of friends; he doesn’t know what to do with it. So after a moment he just lets go and steps away to go to his own car. He’s two steps from the door when Stiles shouts at his retreating back.

“The Camaro was way more threatening, dude!”

He snorts, glancing back to see Stiles throw himself back into the jeep. The gears grind when he backs out in his haste to retreat.

Derek’s smirking when he climbs into the driver’s seat.

“What was that about?” Cora asks; she’s fiddling with the radio, the AC blasting already.

“Nothing,” he said simply. She makes a noncommittal noise, squinting at the radio.

Derek doesn’t look back when they cross the county border.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on [tumblr](http://noodletastic.tumblr.com/). :)


End file.
